NFL tells Vilma: Williams confirmed you put a bounty on Favre

Posted by Michael David Smith on September 17, 2012, 6:30 PM EST

Getty Images

The NFL’s most explosive claim against any of the players it suspended in the Saints bounty investigation was that linebacker Jonathan Vilma offered $10,000 to any teammate who could knock Brett Favre out of the 2010 NFC Championship Game. Vilma says that isn’t true, but when he went to the league office today, the NFL told him that former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams has confirmed that Vilma did, in fact, put a bounty on Favre.

In that sworn affidavit, Williams admitted he had a pay-for-performance pool funded by Saints players, admitted he knew the pool violated league rules, and admitted he misled the NFL when he was first questioned about it in 2010. Even in that confession, however, Williams said he never encouraged players to inflict injuries or commit penalties.

And now all those folks saying that Williams never admitted to a bounty and that the NFL changed his words are about to say that he is no credible when it comes to implicating Vilma. The third person that said he did it is likely a player as there is not much reason to hide the identity unless he was.

Try spinning this one into a “the league has it out for us wahhh” claim Saints fans. Vilma deserves what he got. Sean Payton and Greg Williams deserved what they got and the Saints are getting what they deserve in the 2012 season.

We have seen this play out before. NFL claims something then when it gets crossed examined it turns out the NFL had nothing. So now the NFL sends Gregg Williams to South East Asia on a backpacking trip, so Vilma can’t cross examine him. Nice try but this evidence will fall flat like all the rest has.

A statement signed 3 days ago by someone who needs Goodell to say he’s been a good boy to get reinstated, which stands against the 8 sworn affidavits filed saying it never happened during the Berrigan proceedings. A statement which, by the way, doesn’t support Goodell’s contention that there were pay-for-injury bounties as a regular part of the ordinary pay-for-performance pool the Saints had.

Williams is NOT credible. He says that he didn’t encourage the players to inflict injuries……that is clearly not true…we all heard the tape of him telling players to test their opponents MCL & to hit recently concussed players…..remember the tape!!!

I don’t know if Vilma did it or not but Williams does not have clean hands.

Vilma and the other players showed up at court to testify. Greg Williams submitted an affidavit and flew to to the mountain of Thailand to go backpacking. In court, people showing up mean a lot more than affidavits. You can’t cross examine and affidavit. To top it off, Greg Williams isn’t even in the country and can’t be easily reached. The timing of his vacation to a remote part of earth sure seems suspicious.

Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I suspect the NFL wanted him out of town until this was all settled.

Last, the affidavit also says that no pay-to-injure occurred. This would seem to undermine Goodell’s public statements and the severity of the punishments.

Why would Goodell show an affidavit that states that the one thing the players were mostly punished for (pay to injure) did not occur? That would seem to strengthen Vilma’s assertion that he was defamed.

This whole thing, on the side of the Vilma and the NFL is ridiculous. Vilma needs to take a little pay for performance suspension, and the league needs to come off the draconian punishments it put on everyone.

Yeah because Gregg has no reason whatsoever to roll over for the NFL. He’s dependent on them to get back in the league. His son was a Saints assistant that didn’t get into any trouble and is now the LB’s coach for the Rams. Is Gregg really in Thailand hiking?

I really don’t care how this whole thing shakes out. Known facts at this point.
Gregg Williams was the administrator behind the bounty program.
Saints players in part or in full funded it.
This is known because Williams confirmed it.
I don’t care how good he is. If I were an owner I would not hire him. If I were a player I wouldn’t play for him. For Williams not to just fall on his sword and take the punishment is a glaring indictment of him as a Man. Ownership can’t hire him based on PR backlash. Players won’t play for him for two reasons. When will the next bounty(or other issue) come? Then you know you’ll get thrown under the bus when the $hit hits the fan.

Wait, since when is G Williams the bastion of truth? He is trying to coach again, period. He signs his on FRIDAY?? 7 guys with ZERO reason to lie also swore under oath, and said Vilma didn’t do it. Spare me with this being definitive proof.

So, Roger Goodell has 50,000 pages of evidence against Jonathan Vilma, Sean Payton et al that he used to gut the Saints organization and he actually has the balls to present a piece of ‘evidence’ generated three days ago to prove his point? You have got to be kidding me. I’m sure Judge Berrigan won’t recognize this as an attempt to lie yet again.

As a football player, Favre assumed a certain amount of risk; but setting bounties, by definition, says players are out to hurt someone, and that’s not the level of risk assumed by any player in the NFL. Favre oughta sue the pants off both of them. He was having the best season of his career before he was hit in the game vs New Orleans, and eventually he needed surgery for the damage inflicted by that hit. He was never the same QB after that – the damage to his ankle ensured he couldn’t properly set up to throw. And he’ll probably have lifelong issues with that ankle – all because of the bounties. The NFL is right to suspend Vilma for a year, and Williams for forever.

“Jonathan Vilma was presented with a sworn affidavit from former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams that was signed Friday, Sept 14.” — Tell me that this isn’t a bit fishy, and I’ll put away the tuna. Did Goody make a back room deal with Williams so Williams would sign the affidavit?

Players and a coach swear under oath in Federal Court that there was no bounty program, and the haters come out the woodwork saying they’re lying. Gregg Williams signs an affidavit and the haters believe it, no questions asked. Wow, you people are so gullible! Please post your email addresses because I have some swamp land I want to sell you.

This is hearsay, Williams is not a credible witness, if Williams would rant about going for players knees, he would also use similar cutthroat tactics to save himself by signing whatever documents Goodell asked. It is amazing how many uninformed posters confuse hearsay with proof.

homebruer | Sep 17, 2012, 6:39 PM EDT
Hear that Saints fans? …That was the other shoe dropping. Or maybe it was Uncle Rogers big boot hitting your team right in the rear end. BUSTED.

The only thing busting is Uncle Rogers nut, that you are swallowing. Every bit of evidence the NFL has provided could not hold up, but you can go a head and keep swallowing what Roger spews…we allow know what that makes you.

And to think… Vilma has the nerve to waste our tax dollars dragging this through the courts and trying to sue for defamation. What a scumbag. I just lost all respect for him and you can sure bet he just lost ANY respect the courts might have held for him previously. Judges hate liars. Vilma is a liar. He just cost the players their appeal. Game over, man.

This dude Williams signs some paper work..then gos’ to Thailand? Sound likes a jail house Rat that turns in states evidence against his partner then go into witness protection program.. tryna save his own ass

I am willing to bet that Mr. Williams statement was very precisely worded and an alternative light was shed upon this situation for Mr. Vilma….

Just like every other sports (except for you OJ) incident from steroids to Tiger’s 18 holes…… own up to it and take your second chance. America loves to give second chances, just ask Mike Vick, Donte Stallworth, Leonard Little, and Adam Jones. (NOT you OJ)

So everybody just take the year off, do some positive things in the community, and see you after the Super Bowl.

NFL has at least proven that they can spin a bunch of bs to the average fan. They believe the fans will believe anything the Nfl tells ESPN to report.etc. …and they are mostly right. The longer this goes the more I believe Roger is detrimental to the integrity of the game….controlling the media with their PR influence has been sickening.

let me get this right ….investigation started in 2010. about 200 days ago you suspend somebody because you have evidence…..now you present your evidence that was signed three days ago by one individual….hmmmm let me think about that one ….2010 you know something, 6 months ago you do something about it, but now you get proof 72 hours ago. I mean law class 1a teaches you get in writing at the onset…..no reasonable doubt there what so ever…….i wonder if the other 52 guys somehwere are willing to sign something to the contrary? I mean even a handful would throw that out in a second…..I think commish knows the defamation of character will be hard to overcome, that is why he is scrambling now. Wonder if he promised that williams can coach next year…on a plea bargain…most snitches get some incentive to rat on the guy..

And to think… Vilma has the nerve to waste our tax dollars dragging this through the courts and trying to sue for defamation. What a scumbag. I just lost all respect for him and you can sure bet he just lost ANY respect the courts might have held for him previously. Judges hate liars. Vilma is a liar. He just cost the players their appeal. Game over, man.
———-

This is hearsay, Williams is not a credible witness, if Williams would rant about going for players knees, he would also use similar cutthroat tactics to save himself by signing whatever documents Goodell asked. It is amazing how many uninformed posters confuse hearsay with proof.
————

Sworn affidavits are treated as factual evidence, sonny boy. Need to open up that Blacks Law book and realize what’s going on here.

Mr. Vilma, you got got! I wish I could have seen the smug look on Goodell’s face and the look of horror on Vilma’s face when GW’s statement was presented. I like to imagine that they hired Ashton Kutcher to set it up all reverse PUNK’D style.

No one should be surprised at this. Why would the league drag itself through the mud pursuing made-up allegations with no proof? Did Goodell go insane? Suddenly developed a hatred of the Saints and was willing to go to any lengths to get them? The only thing that ever made any sense is that there was a program.

Whether individual players were implicated could be debated, but questioning whether anything ever happened was just silly.

I understand the Vilma suspension, but how do you explain the others guys with 1-4 games? Did they offer less money? Unless they offered up money for head-hunting, how can you make an argument for holding them accountable? Last I heard, their suspensions were for being team leaders, that is an idiotic argument for loss game checks.

Every July and August each team in the NFL holds a training camp to assemble their roster for the season. Dozens of individuals who desire to be a member of the team attend the camp and audition before the coaching staff. By the end of camp the coaches decide which players will best help the team win. That is, score more points score than their opposition while adhering to the rules. The players who make the team are given contracts. They are paid by the to perform.

The rules of the NFL prohibit intentionally injuring an opposing player. A professional football player can only be “knocked out” of a game if he is injured.

The program to which Vilma and his teammates have admitted rewarded players ONLY when an opposing player was injured. If no one got knocked out of the game, no one from the Saints got paid.

Therein lies the critical distinction: a pay for performance program rewards players for playing the game at a high level regardless of whether anyone gets hurt. A bounty program rewards players when someone gets hurt regardless of how well the participant plays the actual game.

This latest piece of evidence only confirms what the NFL, and apparently Judge Berrigan, already concluded: Vilma was involved in a pay to injure program. He was justifiably disciplined originally and should be again.

Players and a coach swear under oath in Federal Court that there was no bounty program, and the haters come out the woodwork saying they’re lying. Gregg Williams signs an affidavit and the haters believe it, no questions asked. Wow, you people are so gullible! Please post your email addresses because I have some swamp land I want to sell you.

——————-

Man you Saints fans are pathetic. We knew that much already with all your pompous bragging the past 2-3 years, but this is a whole new low.

Just read the affidavit. Something smelss bad from the league office. ALl along they were reproting they had evidence of Vilma offering a bounty. The affidavit was signed September 14, 2012. Why was it not signed back in March, April, May, June, July, August….. why 3 days before the NFL elected to have a meeting with Vilma.

I can see God-ell saying to Greg Williams, “I need your help. You help me and I can reinstate you next year. I need you to sign this affidavit we wrote up for you.” Anyone interested in reading the affidavit will see that the Saints players had an informal program that Gregg W formalized and it was based on pay for performeance and nowhere does Williams sais they were out to injure the opponent. Saints exec. and coaches should be punished for allowing it to continue, but the players were doing what many other teams were doing at that was an informal pool for good plays. NFL over reacted.

OMG!!! Everyone on the planet knows what happened here! Just because Vilma won’t admit to it doesn’t make him innocent and the league liars! So sick of this whole thing. Shut up take your suspension and deal with it. Or keep it up and the well gets deeper and you’ll be gone for good….

So Greg Williams signs an statement 3 days ago, and almost two years after the fact. I wonder whether he was negotiating with Goodell to get his job back? This has all the trappings of a backroom deal. Somebody better back up Williams or in my opinion his statement has no more credibility than Vilma’s.

“Williams, according to the source, said he knew the pool violated league rules, but they never had the intent to injure or commit any on-field misconduct, they never rewarded any conduct that the refs flagged as a penalty, and any penalized conduct — such as roughing the passer, or an illegal hit, was penalized — not encouraged — and the player responsible had to pay money into the pool.”

*******************

No intent to injure, any illegal conduct was penalized under the plan and players had to pay money INTO the pool and not get money from the pool.

anyone can add words to a signed document and manipulate evidence…why didn’t goodell present this proof in federal court…Roger Goodell is a shady and scum commissioner who has proven to manipulate evidence

(vikingamericann, obviously a saints fan using the name to mask his identity.)

No surprise here.

Not to anybody with a lick of sense.

People believe what they want to believe. Vilma could come out and openly admit to it and the naysayers will always come up with something. They would say Vilma would never admit to it and that it was all fabricated by the media. He could come out on television and admit on, but Saint fans and the like would say that somebody hired a makeup artist and that it wasn’t actually Jonathan Vilma admitting to it. More over, people don’t want to admit when they have made a mistake or when they are wrong. So if, from the beginning, they believed in Vilmas innocence and/or the lack of a bounty program, they will find any reason, however absurd, to make them feel like they are were/are right.

Takes a real strong person to admit that they were wrong. What does that say about Vilma?

How is this “boom” or “surprise surprise” if the NFL already said they had this in June? They also said there were 3 witnesses: one who is a secret (go figure), another who says they never stated what the NFL says they did, and Williams who also states he never instructed players to hurt the opposing team even though he is on tape telling them to do so and is also the only person waiting to find out if he is ever allowed to have a job in the NFL again. Yes, this “evidence” is as solid as the rest of the “evidence” they have produced in the past.

This is a sworn addifavit admitting there was no intent to injure. Make that 2 coaches, and 8 players that have all signed under oath that there was no intent to injure, only pay for performance within the rules of the game.

phloorioisanarcissist says:
Sep 17, 2012 7:32 PM
(vikingamericann, obviously a saints fan using the name to mask his identity.)

No surprise here.

Not to anybody with a lick of sense.

People believe what they want to believe. Vilma could come out and openly admit to it and the naysayers will always come up with something. They would say Vilma would never admit to it and that it was all fabricated by the media. He could come out on television and admit on, but Saint fans and the like would say that somebody hired a makeup artist and that it wasn’t actually Jonathan Vilma admitting to it. More over, people don’t want to admit when they have made a mistake or when they are wrong. So if, from the beginning, they believed in Vilmas innocence and/or the lack of a bounty program, they will find any reason, however absurd, to make them feel like they are were/are right.

Takes a real strong person to admit that they were wrong. What does that say about Vilma?

“This is a sworn addifavit admitting there was no intent to injure. Make that 2 coaches, and 8 players that have all signed under oath that there was no intent to injure, only pay for performance within the rules of the game.”

So basically you’re arguing for fines and loss of draft picks for violating salary cap rules to go along with the suspensions?

Lots of comments about how Williams is a piece of garbage for saying this and how it is just hearsay. Apparently there are other affidavits attesting to the same thing. There will be no better evidence and there can be no better evidence than testimony from another individual unless Vilma admits the charges.

This was always going to be a finger pointing exercise in the end. At least Vilma was paid his contract this year.

Unlike the situation that happened with the Patriots, you can directly link bountygate to a Saints win. Both of Favre’s INTs were a direct result of it. The first one there was a vicious double hit on Favre as he released the ball that the league later apologized for not throwing the flag. The second one would have never been thrown, but Favre was so beaten up that game instead of running it he threw it.

The Vikings were the better team that day and Favre was the better QB. They should have won.

LOL Vilma didnt want his “legacy” tainted by the suspesion. Now it IS his legacy. Had he just sat out a year we would have had our doubts about the validity of this whole affair due to many secrets and little evidence. But now…. with sworn affidavits, etc… LEGACY casted

1) The affidavit was signed within the past week? Ummm…Goodell instituted the original suspension eons ago, therefore someone can credibly say, “what took so long?”

2) An affidavit is only as good as the person giving it (that’s why jail house snitches aren’t the most credible). Wouldn’t be hard to argue that Williams signed it under duress, hoping to get a lighter sentence. Pretty common and fact finders (juries and judges) place little weight on such affidavits.

3) If they don’t have proof that money changed hands, still a tough case (because Vilma and others can just argue that it was “big talk” among teammates).

Unlike the situation that happened with the Patriots, you can directly link bountygate to a Saints win. Both of Favre’s INTs were a direct result of it. The first one there was a vicious double hit on Favre as he released the ball that the league later apologized for not throwing the flag. The second one would have never been thrown, but Favre was so beaten up that game instead of running it he threw it.

The Vikings were the better team that day and Favre was the better QB. They should have won.
————-

While the Vikes were the better team and they were obviously seeking to take out Favre, the same asterisk that is next to any Saints accomplishments from 2009-2011 are next to the Patriots. Don’t think we forgot. Yes, you CAN directly link the cheating to the outcomes of their games. Haven’t won anything since.

most fans just hate the Saints and are hoping this is the smoking gun without thinking and using their brains…Roger Goodell has manipulated an affidavit on hargrove which was proven to be untrue and now he is doing the same thing to Vilma and Williams sworn affidavit is inconsistent to what he signed months ago and if this is the smoking gun, why didn’t RG present this evidence in federal court and he came up with this new evidence 3 days ago…c’mon man, this commissioner is brainwashing the media and the fans…we having been dealing with this bounty crap for over 6 long months…Goodell should’ve had this smoking gun 6 long months ago….RG is a big joke!

If the league wants to use Gregg Williams’ statement as evidence against Vilma, then it also has to take the part where he says that there was no intent to injure and that flagged plays would in fact require a player to pay INTO the pool. They can’t have it both ways.

If Williams statement is truthful, then yes, Vilma offered up money. But if the statement is truthful, it also means that there was no intent to injure and that it was merely a pay for performance system, in which case this should be adjudicated by the Special Master Stephen Burbank, and not Rog.

You guys are hilarious. I’m glad none of you are Judges… I see it doesn’t take much. First off…Look at the signature of the “evidence” Its last week. Is it out of the realm of reality that maybe the NFL went to Greg Williams and said “agree to this statement, Play ball and we will consider lifting the suspension later” Why wasn’t this “evidence” presented to Vilma at the onset of the allegations. You guys are easy as heck to get over on. NFL is trying to save face. Point blank. This will turn out to be a scandal. If this was Legit, it would have been presented earlier.

Every July and August each team in the NFL holds a training camp to assemble their roster for the season. Dozens of individuals who desire to be a member of the team attend the camp and audition before the coaching staff. By the end of camp the coaches decide which players will best help the team win. That is, score more points score than their opposition while adhering to the rules. The players who make the team are given contracts. They are paid by the to perform.

The rules of the NFL prohibit intentionally injuring an opposing player. A professional football player can only be “knocked out” of a game if he is injured.

The program to which Vilma and his teammates have admitted rewarded players ONLY when an opposing player was injured. If no one got knocked out of the game, no one from the Saints got paid.

Therein lies the critical distinction: a pay for performance program rewards players for playing the game at a high level regardless of whether anyone gets hurt. A bounty program rewards players when someone gets hurt regardless of how well the participant plays the actual game.

This latest piece of evidence only confirms what the NFL, and apparently Judge Berrigan, already concluded: Vilma was involved in a pay to injure program. He was justifiably disciplined originally and should be again.

———-

This is the most ill informed statement since the last time I went to the drudgereport Go and read the affidavit that Williams signed.

Did Vilma think they would suspend him without having some solid
proof? This the NFL not some Mickey Mouse organization. If their going to take a stand they have done all their homework .
Vilma take your punishment like a man and drop all this denial nonsense. Some of the guys in this league just don’t get it.

I’m from Wisconsin and before I found out what a moral stinker Farve really was, I liked the guy. That being said, Farve was the original “Rocky” of the gridiron. No one, espscially someone his age deserved that blindside hit between the shoulder blades. That was not a tackle, anyone who saw it live as I did, knew that it was intended to hospitalize, if not cripple Farve. The game is dangerous enough when played on the level, but people like Vilma and williams need to banned for life. Playing in the NFL is a priviledge, if you refuse to abide by the rules, make a living elsewhere!

juliusanonymous says:
Sep 17, 2012 7:09 PM
For all you legal experts, a signed affidavit containing a confession isn’t hearsay. It’s admissable evidence in court and will be taken seriously.

It’s also the final nail in the coffin for the players’ appeals.
_______________________________

for all you legal morons out there….you get signed affadavits prior to convicting somebody. You don’t wait until you get sued, and then try to get the proof. Final nail in whose coffin?

i mean are you that narrow minded. Next you are going to tell me their were other bounties before this, and a coach was involved and his sons would be coaches someday in the nfl …the nonsense of it all… think players are trying to hurt the other guy…. that would be like telling me in boxing they are trying to knock each other out…..unheard of i say.

And why would ANYONE believe anything Greg Williams says.? If his lips are moving he’s lieing to save his own sorry self and such up to the bum of a Commish. Terry Bradshaw said it right on the NFL preshow…”Show Me the Evidence”..Put up and then, maybe I’ll shut up! One of the three “witnesses” has back off his original statement which tells me there was a little incentive given to Williams…talk about “pay for performance”…LOL! Every team in the league has had players who have been given “incentives” in the form of bonuses or raises for rough play, some teams are very proud of their aggressive and physical defenses…Steelers, Ravens, 9ers, Jets…It depends on who you are in this league and if your owners sits at the “Dons” table! The NFL also says the replacement refs are doing a good job when they don’t even know the rules, can’t keep track of timeouts, and are inconsistent in making calls!

Saints fans: What makes you more angry? That Vilma is guilty or that he was ratted out by Gregg Williams? All I heard for a couple years here in Louisiana was what a great, tough DC Williams was, and how you hate him because he admitted to the truth? They walk a very fine line between passion and integrity here in Louisiana.

Wow, sounds like Williams snitched to try and save his own butt. Or… he has the mentality: if I’m going down I’m taking people with me because it wasn’t all my doing. Keep you mouth shut Gregg and take it like a real man.

Now it’s clear why there were hits below the knees against Favre but the ref not flagging for the hit is why is kept happening. The refs blew that game as much as the Saints cheap shots and the Vikings miscues.

Let all the players suit up and play the 09 championship all over again. Then, let’s tee off on Drew Bree’s like they did to Favre. Let Jared Allen Drive him into the ground any time he wants to until the whistle blows. All the other defenders can just go and jump on him too after he’s down. Then, while he’s under four Vikings players, we can try to twist his ankle till it snaps, just like they tried with Adrian. If they try to breath on Favre, they get a personal foul. Come on, what do ya say?

except, oh wait, this is America, where we blindly believe any piece of crap we’re told, as long as it comes from a rich white guy in a position of power.

————————————————–
This the statement of a life time

Mitt Romney anyone!!!

____________

Maybe we should believe anything the buffoon in the Whitehouse tells us. 3 1/2 yrs later we’re all do much better off. Oh I know things were so bad that not even Bill Clinton could fix our problems. And yeah I’m not selling the Islam YouTube video BS either. More idiotic White House BS to take the focus off of what a crappy job the pResident is doing. My yorkie could do a better job,

I KNEW the NFL was trying to do people a favor by handing out the punishments and trying to move on, but NOOOOO everyone had to question it and demand more proof and the NFL tried to hint to you it had rock solid proof but didn’t want to outright “out” the guy who had it, but you all kept pushing and now here we have the sworn signed affidavit from Gregg Williams himself, and I’m sure they have even more. Everybody just lay off or you’re going to find out even more things you won’t want to hear. Jsut let it go, the Saints were 100% wrong and stop digging.

Seriously?!?!? Williams signs an affidavit three days ago and this the smoking gun the NFL produces after YEARS of investigation and 50,000 PAGES of evidence? Is this a joke? Wow, the NFL and Goodell REALLY must be in real trouble if this is the fast one they are trying to pull. It’s so obvious they never really had anything. Otherwise, they would have produced it A LONG time ago.

It is truly stunning the depths of stupidity of the fans who fall for this crap. And George W actually won the 2000 election, too. Maybe there really is a Santa Claus, too.

Will the Vikings fans crying ever stop?!?!? I can never get enough of their whining. It is hilarious. As if they would never have celebrated a Vikings win if they had won like the Saints in 09. Of course, they would have wanted the Vikings to give the NFC trophy to the Saints if the Vikings had won like that. What total freaking hypocrites.

The thing I don’t understand is Williams’ rationale for talking. What player will now trust him? What team will now trust him? Once you break that bond of trust within your team and among your players, you’re finished in coaching. Did he really think that by admitting what went on, he’d get himself off the hook and be welcomed back? There’s just no logic in his actions. I hoipe he enjoys his future in Pop Warner, because right now, that’s the only level in football that’ll welcome this guy… heck, maybe not even them.

Funny the league could not produce evidence, then 3 1/2 month later AFTER suspension was handed down, they all of a sudden have a signed affadavit that was just signed this past Friday. Doesn’t this all seem odd??? GW signs it, yet in the same article he says he didn’t encourage any illegal hits/injury – man what won’t this guy do to save his hide? What did the league promise you, that one day you may work in the coaching staff somewheres or was there a pay-off from the league for him to sign this paper to save the leagues butt? Maybe it was Goodell himself that made the pay-off to save his butt??
The whole thing stinks no matter how you look at it.

To all the arrogant snobs who commented above saying things like “game over, vilma” Or “checkmate vilma” and “enjoy your time off”…..you idiots realize that this affidavit was signed 4 days ago. So besides the fact that this goes against all 8 other affidavits he signed previously, even in his “confession” no PAY-TO-INJURE (because thats what a bounty program is. As opposed to PAY-FOR-Performance which gives money for football related goals such as sacks, interceptions etc) program was mentioned anywhere. Meaning yet again the NFL has nothing.

The longer this goes on, the worse it becomes for all concerned. Vilma and the others would do well to shut up, take their medicine, and come back next year. No matter what they do or what lawyers they hire, they are not going to win and are only digging a deeper hole for themselves. It is over guys! Shut up, suck it up, and move on!

So the affidavant was signed recently. Big Deal. They had his verbal admission prior to that and base the suspensions on that. Now he just formalized his earlier verbal admission.
As for him stating that their was no intent to injure, there may not have been, but, payments were made when an injury (cartoff) occurred. Goodell and the judge both agreed that this type of pay for performance constitutes a bounty. So admitting to a pay for performance program is an admission of guilt and those eight other affidavants will actually bolster Goodell’s case.

payments were made when who was carted off? where is the evidence supporting this claim? The only thing the judge and Goodell agreed on, is that suspensions would continue after solid evidence is produced….so far..none

Let all the players suit up and play the 09 championship all over again. Then, let’s tee off on Drew Bree’s like they did to Favre. Let Jared Allen Drive him into the ground any time he wants to until the whistle blows. All the other defenders can just go and jump on him too after he’s down. Then, while he’s under four Vikings players, we can try to twist his ankle till it snaps, just like they tried with Adrian. If they try to breath on Favre, they get a personal foul. Come on, what do ya say?
—————————————————-

I say that if the Vikings weren’t trying to get to Brees back then, they didn’t deserve to win the game. You see, the Saints offensive line was blocking that day. Maybe if the Vikings had tried that.

How can the head (Greg Williams) pass blame on the hand ( Vilma) if it moves???? Why do so many of you assume or want Vilma to be the the fall guy??? do you honestly believe Vilma had that much pull in the locker room??? And why didn’t Williams sign this affidavit IN THE BEGINNING???? He signed it Sept. 14 2012??? WTF ????A ton of lawyers involved and no one said ” Hey Gregg since you are confessing and saying your players ran the show, sign this affidavit about your involvement with bounty gate???” WTF???